A Delta Air Lines flight from Minneapolis to San Francisco ended in dramatic fashion Saturday night when federal and local law enforcement officers boarded the plane and arrested one of the pilots directly in the cockpit, according to multiple reports.
Delta Flight 2809 landed at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) around 9:35 p.m. on July 26. Moments later, approximately 10 officers — some believed to be from the Department of Homeland Security — entered the aircraft and “stormed” the cockpit, removing the copilot in handcuffs, passengers said.
The pilot, whose identity has not been made public, was arrested in connection with an ongoing investigation led by the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office, according to Homeland Security Investigations. A spokesperson confirmed the agency assisted in executing an arrest warrant but declined to provide further details.
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Passenger Shocked by Sudden Arrest
Footage obtained by View from the Wing showed plainclothes agents and uniformed officers boarding the plane. One passenger, identified only as Sarah, told ABC7 News the arrest was “traumatic to watch.”
“They barged through and stormed the cockpit,” she said. “They removed the copilot, cuffed him, presumably arrested him, and brought him back down the aisle to deplane.”
Sarah added that passengers were left stunned. “It was just a huge question mark. I didn’t know if this person was disappearing before our eyes, if there had been a crime committed, or what exactly was happening.”
She said she broke down in tears once her husband picked her up from the airport.
Delta, DHS Decline to Comment on Details
While some officers appeared to be air marshals and others wore Homeland Security badges, federal agencies referred all questions to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California.
Delta Airlines has not yet issued a statement, and it remains unclear what charges the arrested copilot may face.
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) also deferred to federal prosecutors.
The investigation is ongoing.
